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Event First Steps was started back in 2014 by two recent event management graduates, Elena and Caitlin, who found that the gap between what was taught at University and what it was like to work in the events industry was huge.
A year later we met another event professional, Priya, who had recently joined the industry from a completely different career, and together they realised taking the first steps in the events sector is daunting no matter age or previous experience.
So in the summer of 2016, we officially formed Event First Steps, a not-for-profit initiative.
Over the last 5 years, we have since hosted events around London and worked with universities across the country to help industry newcomers of all ages and abilities build their networks, learn from industry heavyweights and forge their own career path.
Elena Clowes
Elena is a creative events producer with over 8 years industry experience, working on events from conception through to delivery. She started working in events as a waitress front of house at conferences and weddings, deciding to head to university to learn more about the industry.
She has since worked on events in house for a marketing team, venue and agency side, and was the operations manager for the UK chapter of an events association.
Elena's career path was massively changed by building her network of contacts before graduating, learning about aspects of the events world that you can't imagine from a lecture hall. She is keen to help other newcomers find their feet in the same way.
Caitlin Kobrak
Caitlin is a Digital Producer at George P Johnson UK. She has worked agency side over 6 years - working within Sales and Marketing, Strategy and Planning, Digital and Integrated Production.
Caitlin graduated from University of Gloucestershire with a degree in Events Management, and ahead of starting at GPJ had worked for a wedding and catering company, and at Greenbelt Festival. She wrote an award winning Events Blog from 2011 - 2018 that was focused on providing unbiased information for those looking to study and enter the event industry, and was named one of C&IT Magazines A-List 35 under 35 for 2020.
Working with those starting in the industry is something Caitlin is extremely passionate about.
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Priya Narain
Priya started out in the events industry later in life, having made the decision to transition from a career in the travel world. This is a decision she has not regretted making!
She has experience working with venues, catering, and now most recently as general manager of Event Marketing Association. Her role sees her developing and driving strategies for growth within the association, membership engagement, educational events, and general communication management.
Priya wants to share her experiences of what she learnt from her career change, including tools and resources to help make it easier for those who might be going through something similar.
